In conventional systems for computer-aided translation, a translation-memory application receives a document in one language (referred to as a source document) for translation into a second, target, language. In these systems, the application typically includes a translation memory that stores an enumeration of phrases, terms, sentences, or other segments of text in the source language with a corresponding translation into the target language for each of the enumerated segments of text. Translation-memory applications may analyze text according to stored rules or algorithms to identify the segments of text in the source document for which the translation memory stores a corresponding translation into the target language.
In some systems, a translation-memory application may provide a client application, executing on a machine used by a translator, and a remote translation memory, residing on a remote server. Typical translation memories may store thousands of translations and require a significant amount of time to identify an appropriate translation for a portion of a source document. The perceptible amounts of time required to process and transmit a translation over a network to a translator creates an inconvenience for typical users. However, insufficient network bandwidth or storage capacity on the machine used by the translator may prevent the translation-memory application from transmitting the translation memory directly to the machine used by the translator.
Methods and systems for providing translators with access over a network to remote translation memories without the delay and inconvenience of conventional systems would be desirable.